When I was a teenager, the first time I ever traveled on the NYC subway system unaccompanied by adults was December 22, 1984. I think most New Yorkers who have been around a long time and travel the subway system regularly have that date etched in their memories.

I haven't been on the subway in several years now. I hate everything about it.

I grew up there and traveled on the subway regularly until I got married, moved away for a few years...and then came back during the darkest period (in the 80s). That was when the incident I mentioned occurred.

The subway can be pretty horrible, but it’s a fast, efficient form of travel through a densely populated space. The only thing that I wish is that NYC as a whole would deal with the many stark raving mad “street people” who are allowed to live, not only in the streets, but in the subways and parks and any public space. They should all be institutionalized, which is what used to happen to them when I was a kid.